Republicans fear Trump will lead to a ‘lost generation’ of talent

politico.com ^ | 6/1/21 | MERIDITH MCGRAW, DAVID SIDERS and SAM STEIN

[cotton1706]

In conversations with more than 20 lawmakers, ex-lawmakers, top advisers and aides, a common concern has emerged — that a host of national and statewide Republicans are either leaving office or may not choose to pursue it for fear that they can’t survive politically in the current GOP.

Trump has driven sitting GOP lawmakers and political aspirants into early retirements ever since he burst onto the scene. But there was hope that things would change after his election loss. Instead, his influence on the GOP appears to be as solid as ever and the impact of those early shockwaves remain visible. When asked, for instance, if he feared the 45th president was causing a talent drain from the GOP ranks, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — perhaps inadvertently — offered a personal demonstration of the case.

“Thank you for checking in,” he replied. “I am out of politics and life is good.”

For Trump and his allies, this is a positive development. Establishment Republican politicians, in their estimation, were out of touch with the popular sentiment of Republican voters. And the degree to which Trump helped with that reorientation has been a good thing: realigning the party with working-class voters and encouraging a new cohort of non-traditional politicians to run for office.

[cotton1706]

What they mean is "our gravy train's over for a while."

[srmanuel]

As the article mentions, an entire generation of establishment Republicans leaving the stage is a Great Thing.....2022 is a key election to further this process, a group of establishment Republicans are up for reelection, if we can eliminate a bunch of them we will be moving in the right direction.....

Liz Cheney is the poster child that needs to be eliminated politically....she represents everything that is wrong with the Republican Party....

[tellw]

Jeb! is their example?

[mewzilla]

Good.

[PubliusMM]

The death of the GOPe is not a bad thing, at all.

Let’s get to it. We have a Nation of save.

[PubliusMM]

The death of the GOPe is not a bad thing, at all.

Let’s get to it. We have a Nation to save.

[Pete Dovgan]

Lost generation of RINO’s.......... oh the sadness.

[Lod881019]

Exactly Establishment Republicans absolutely hate the working class in this country and everyone quoted in this piece pretty much would never ever support the working class policies Trump espoused by Trump

[ConservativeInPA]

Trump has driven sitting GOP lawmakers and political aspirants into early retirements ever since he burst onto the scene.

That's called winning. There are 145 more GOP congressmen that vote for Cheney that need to be driven into early retirement, and quite honestly I'd be happy if it were off the face of the earth.

[Caipirabob]

Jeb Bush? Liz Cheney? Who's next? Jeff Flake?

Entirely execrable human beings, who should be ejected from the human race along with the Republican party.

[gathersnomoss]

Republicans are the Pinto’s of politics.

[romanesq]

GOPe sell outs and traitors with hands out to special interests, Shamnesty money and the ChiComs.

Boot them! Get it done!

[DoodleBob]

This was so revealingly funny and telling that it needs to be reprinted:

“Rational, good quality candidates don't want to associate with people like Marjorie Taylor Green. So people just check out,” said Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist who was a co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project before stepping down in December.

[nathanbedford]

What is this article about?

It is about change in the ranks of elected Republicans. It is not about why Republicans are electing different representatives nor is it about why elected Republicans have withdrawn from office, except to assert without proof that it is Donald Trump's fault.

The article is certainly not about the issues that currently divide the Republican Party. The authors don't go there because to do so would take them into treacherous territory. That territory is treacherous because it exposes the essential fallacy of the piece. The Republican Party is riven to the extent it is because Trump's policies are an existential threat to the business model of the Republican Party. The evidence? The Republican Party has lost its financial leverage over Wall Street, having surrendered that to the Democrats while Trump champions the issues of the middle class.

In other words the customers of RNC INC have changed because of the policies forwarded by Trump and those Republicans in the business of being politicians rather than being statesmen have lost their sinecures. It is a pity that the fundamental truth expressed in the article through the quotation by Newt Gingrich was not explored. "There was only limited room for overt, aggressive anti-Trump Republicans. Not because of Trump but because of the voters. Trump doesn’t have to orchestrate the hostility people are running into.”

But Trump has made it morally impossible to sell out to those who sell out to China or, indeed, who sell out every day in every way. Trump changed the business model and the customers will not buy from the old Republican vendors.

[equaviator]

The more cowards we lose the better, and we’ll remember their names if/when we have to.

[central_va]

Exactly Establishment Republicans absolutely hate the working class

Sadly Free Republic is filled with them.

[unread]

"former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush"

Oh wow... Let's go ask Jeb what's wrong with the republican party... (snort)

[southernerwithanattitude]

They lost me when they said Jeb......

[panzerkamphwageneinz]

It took three people to write this?

How many would it take to break down and clean an AR 15?-or change the oil in a car?- or drive a standard transmission?

[100%FEDUP]

How many RINOs over 70 are still taking up space? And they’re worried about future talent!